A University of Barcelona project to investigate the origin of genetic mutations

Marc de Manuel, a Ramón y Cajal researcher at the Faculty of Biology of the University of Barcelona, has received a starting grant from the European Research Council (ERC). These grants are aimed at young researchers with between two and seven years of research experience since obtaining their PhD. De Manuel will receive funding of 1.48 million euros to develop his project, Mut-Scales, which focuses on genetic mutations.

As the UB researcher notes, the aim of the research is to “deepen our understanding of the origin of genetic mutations and why their rate of formation varies between different cell types and species”. Marco de Manuel specifies that the project focuses on two main blocs: “the mutation rate in the male germ line during spermatogenesis in mammals and the response to DNA damage in primates”.

Mut-Scales wants to delve deeper into the processes that regulate mutations to uncover evolutionary strategies that allow certain species to have greater longevity and resistance to cancer, which “has significant implications for human genetics and evolutionary biology”, says De Manuel. The project will combine long-read DNA sequencing technology with cross-species comparative analyses to decipher the molecular mechanisms that determine mutation rates.

The ERC’s new call for Starting Grants has awarded 494 grants to young researchers to support innovative lines of research in all areas of knowledge, from life sciences, physics, social sciences and humanities, among others. Total funding this year was 780 million euros. Forty-four percent of the grants went to women researchers, which reinforces the upward trend of recent years (39% in 2022 and 43% in 2023).

Image: Marc de Manuel, researcher at the Faculty of Biology.